Reclosable folding spout containers with tear-flap



March 15, 1960 P. J. GRAYBILL RECLOSABLE FOLDING SPOUT CONTAINERS WITH PEAR-FLAP Filed April 1, 1957 FIG I N VEN TOR.

United States Patent RECLOSABLE FOLDING SPOUT CONTAINERS WITH TEAR-FLAP Paul J. Graybill, New Haven, Conn.

Application April 1, 1957, Serial No. 649,743

1 Claim. (Cl. 229-17) I The present invention relates to reclosable folding spout containers particularly to such containers having a tearflap for securing and subsequently releasing said spout, said tear-flap to also automatically provide a partial shoulder on the permanent end closure of said container as well as a tuck slot therein for inserting a tuck-tab.

The present invention is an improvement and variation on the applicants invention Serial Number 392,559 filed November 17, 1953, and now Patent No. 2,789,747. The improvements relate (1) to the addition of a tear-flap releasably attached to the terminal end of the tuck-tab protruding from the bottom wall of the folding spout, and (2) also-to exact structure of the permanent end closure claimed in general in the previous patent application.

Broad objective The broad objective of my present invention is to provide a container having a tear-flap on the terminal end of the spout bottom wall, which tear-flap is releasably at tached thereto and provides a means of securing said spout in a closed position, said tear-flap to be retained as an integral part of the permanent end closure portion of said container end when torn lose therefrom and become a partial shoulder as well as to form a tuck-slot on said permanent end closure, said slot being positioned immediately beneath the shoulder already provided as previously claimed Specific objectives The more specific objectives of my invention are as follows:

1) T 0 provide a container having a folding spout with a tear-flap on the spout bottom wall, said tear-tab being so dimensioned and disposed and adhered as to secure said folding spout in a closed position when said container endclosure has been effected.

(2) To provide a container having a folding spout with said tear-flap so constructed as to be torn free from said spout wall and tuck-tab in the normal opening process allowing the spout to open and the tear-flap to be retained as a permanent part of the permanent end closure portion of said container, said tear-flap to be positioned between two courses of said permanent end closure.

(3) To provide a container having a folding spout with tear-flap, said tear-flap so constructed as to form a tucktab on the terminal end of the bottom wall of said spout when said tear-flap is torn free, said tuck-tab to be positioned beneath the adjacent edge of the outer course of the permanent end closure portion and form a pocket therein when said tear-tab has been torn free and withdrawn.

(4) To provide a container having a folding spout with tear-flap and a permanent end closure so constructed as to afiord a ledge and a shoulder as well as a tuck-slot on said permmanent end closure.

(5) To provide such a container in which one of the partial end glue-flaps is folded in firstly and the narrow end glue-flap is folded in and adhered secondly to form the ledge member and be supported from below by the said partial glue-flap and thirdly the folding spout to be interfolded and brought to bear thereon with the tear-flap being adhered to the narrow glue-flap, finally the second partial glue-flap to be folded inwardly and adhered to the narrow glue-flap and the tear-flap, thus completing the end closure of said container.

Designation of illustrations These and other objectives will become apparent as the following detailed description proceeds when reference is made to the accompanying drawings; wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the essential embodiment of my invention. p

Fig. 1 is a view of the inside of a partial blank of my invention showing the complete end-closure, with glue areas shown in shade,

Fig. 1A shows the nesting of two blanks for stock economy,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the end closure of the container of Fig. 1 showing the spout in an extended position and one partial side glue-flap folded inwardly with the narrow end glue-flap superimposed and adhered thereon,

Fig. 3 is likewise a perspective view, showing the spout completely interfolded and the tear-tab superimposed on and adhered to the narrow glue-flap,

Fig. 4 is also a perspective showing the completed endclosure with the final partial side glue-flap folded inwardly and adhered to said narrow glue-flap and said tear tab,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the end-closure of the completed container of Fig. 4, with the spout torn loose from the tear-flap and the tuck-tab withdrawn from the tuck-slot,

Fig. 6 is a perspective of said container with the spout completely open in a pouring position.

Description and manufacturing procedure Referring then to the drawings, in which the same or similar parts in the several drawings are indicated by the same number for ease in identification, Figs. 1 to 6 illustrate the specific embodiment of my invention.

Pig. 1 shows part of the inside of the blank of my invention with the narrow glue-flap 1, the partial glue-flap 2, with side ear 9, the narrow glue-flap, or spout bottom wall 3 with its tuck-tab 7 and its releasably attached tearflap 6 at perforation 8 and its bellows like side-walls 2B and 4B articulated thereto and also to the adjacent sidewalls of said container, said bellows-like side walls 2B and 43 being bisected from the inner corners by creases 10; also shown are the partial glue-flap 4 and the partial gluelap 5. All glue areas are shown in shade. Also shown are bisecting crease 11 which provides hinge panels H in side wall 2B and crease 12 which provides release flap 13.

The container as shown in Figs. 2 to 6 is formed in the usual way by attaching the narrow glue-lap 5 and 5A to the glue-flap 1 and the container side-wall 1A, thus forming the tubular body of the container with the various glue-flaps extending outwardly. The end closure is then effected after glue is applied on shaded areas, by rotating partial glue-flap 4 inwardly to to the side wall, and bringing narrow glue-flap 1 downwardly and adhering it thereon as shown in Fig. 2. The bellow side-walls 2B and 4B are then interfolded and the spout bottom wall 3 is brought inwardly to essentially 90 to the container side-wall with the tear-flap 6 being adhered to the glueflap 1 holding said spout in a closed position as in Fig. 3. Partial glue-flap 2, with its side ear 9, is then rotated about and adhered thereon and the container side-wall as 7 shown in Fig. 4, which completes the container endclosure.

The container is then ready to be filled with product from the opposite end, which is also subsequently sealed.

completely reclosed by tucking tuck-tab 7 into pocket P as in Fig. 4, which-completely reseals the 'containeras before. V Subsequent openings are accomplished by merelypulling the spout bottom wall 3 outwardly, drawing tuckt ab 7 out-of a pocket P. Tear-flap 6 is retained at all times as' an integral part of the permanent end closure of the containeriforming the pocket P andtheshoulder S which shoulder retains the foldingspout in a partial quick closuretposition at is prevents the. forward creepit is understood, that the.

present embodiment presents only an example of my inverrtion and that various changes in shape, size or arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my: invention or the scope of the sub-joined claim.

I claim:

A container, made ,oflfol dable stock having a spout with inter-folding side walls articulated on three sides of a dispensing openingjsaid opening being the full width of the container end in'ifs narrow direction'and extendthe remainder. of, the container end consisting of a pen ing partially acrosshthe container-end the other direction! manent end-closure member, said member being forme t,

from portions of side gluediaps and a narrow end gluea flap, said narrow end glue-flap protruding inwardly beyond the margins of said side glue-flaps extending osten sibly into said dispensing aperture, forming a ledge memher, one of said glue-flaps being adhered outwardly of t the narrow ,end glue-flap, 'said ,spouthaving a bottoming of the bellows side wall 23 as in Fig. 5. Release flap 13 allows the disengagement of'the sidewall 28 without damage as it hinges about at-crease 12, Fig. 5.

Fig. lAshows two of said blanks nested for single line cuts to save stock in manufacturing.

The container as shown provides a convenient package for dispensing products; the tearrfiap adds materially to the security of-tlie package before opening, as well also it provides, a partial shoulder to retain the spout in its quick closure position eventhough the pocket is open, and also provides thisgpocketbrv tuck-slot for the tucktab in reclosing. The instant design of the permanent end closure is essential to these features.

The need for an inexpensive container with such features is. currently urgentfsince such a package would preclude the necessity of expensive inner wrapsby offer.-

ing this reclosable feature that is virtually airtight The features embodied herein are new and constitute wall, --said wall having a tuck-tab protruding outwardly from its terminal end, said tuck-tab having releasably articulated thereto a tear-flap, said tear-flap being adheredbetweensaid narrow glue-flap and said outer side glue-flap retaining said tuck-tab in a closed position, and forming a tuek-slot between said two-glue fiaps when said articulation is severed and; said container is opened andl 'said tuck-tab is withdrawn, said tuck-slotthen-having been formedby t the withdrawal of said tuck-tab, said tuck-slot coincidentally being so dimensioned to lreceive exactly said tuck-tab when'tsaid tuck-tab isrein'serted in reclosing said container. 7 V

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,286,038, Lowy Y Nov. -26, 1918 2,064,029 Murray .Dec. 15, 1936 2,105,547 Mergentheim Jan. 18, 1938 2,205,068 Potter June 18, 1940 2,288,042 Spilman .June 30, 1942 

